546 



Bulletin 169, 



Vermont Agricui^tural Experiment Station. 



Year. 



No. of Cows. 



1889 



1 890 



1890 



1890 



1893 ••• 

 1894. . . . 

 Av. of all 



10 



4 



6 



81 



14 

 21 



136 



When fresh in Milk. 



Mostly Fall 

 Fall 

 Fall 

 Spring 



Average for 

 20 days 

 after ist 

 10 days. 



Lbs. milk. 



+3-50 

 +4.80 



+ 1.30 



+8.80 



+ 1.30 



+ 2.75 



+3 75 



Average for 



20 days 



after ist 



10 days. 



Percent fat. 



—.18 

 +.02 

 + .46 



-H.I4 



+ .21 



+ •37 

 + .17 



The results with the University herd show that more milk 

 was given on pasture than on stall feed during the first two 

 weeks after the change. The effect of pasture was more strongly 

 felt the second week than the first. But during the three fol- 

 lowing weeks the average daily yield of milk fell back to nearly 

 one-half pound below that for the last three weeks in the barn. 

 In the per cent of fat there was much the same general result, 

 a slight increase during the first two weeks at pasture and then 

 a falling balk to practicalh' the same per cent as was found 

 under barn conditions. There w^as more or less variation 

 from year to year, some years showing a decrease where others 

 showed an increase, but the majority show much the same result 

 as is found in the average of all. 



The Vermont herds show a much greater increase, especially 

 in yield of milk than the Universit}^ herd. The greatest increase 

 was for the 81 cows whose daily average was 8.8 pounds greater 

 on pasture than when in the barn. These cows were not owned 

 by the station, and their barn feed was much less nutritious than 

 the pasture ration. This condition together with the fact that 

 they were fresh in the spring accounts for the great increase 

 after the change. The six cows in the year 1890, which showed 

 an average daily increase of 1.3 pounds, received a less nutri- 

 tious ration in the barn than was supplied by the pasture. The 

 barn ration of all the other cows consisted of a liberal allowance 

 of grain, hay and silage, and was as nutritious as the pasture. 

 However, when the cows were turned to pasture, this barn feed 



